Betsy Merzenich

Senior Director

Betsy works with clients to turn philanthropic goals into real solutions. Drawing on her former leadership roles at San Francisco YouthWorks, Give2Asia, and Sequoia High School, she helps clients explore their hopes and objectives, analyze promising solutions, and tailor their giving to meet urgent needs. Equally comfortable launching new initiatives, implementing critical programs, and managing legacy giving, she brings a continuous improvement approach to client projects.

Betsy brings twenty years of leadership in the fields of education, youth development, and philanthropy to her work with Hirsch & Associates. As a long-time consultant to nonprofit and educational clients, she built excellence in teams and organizations during periods of significant transition and motivated diverse groups to work together. She is past chair of the Board of Trustees of the Japanese Community Youth Council, a former high school teacher working with under-resourced students, and an active parent volunteer in the Oakland Unified School District. She holds a B.A. in Government from Cornell University and an M.A. in Education from Stanford University.